What is a Postpartum Doula?
You’ve been meticulous during your pregnancy by researching everything under the sun pertaining to pregnancy and childbirth. Congratulations for taking charge by educating and empowering yourself along your journey towards motherhood!
Your bundle of joy is due any day now, and you are wondering just how prepared you really are. After all, this is a new experience for you, and you are full of emotion and concern. Have you prepared your home appropriately for the arrival of your baby? Will you need additional assistance once you bring your baby home from the hospital or after your midwife leaves following your homebirth? Will you breast of bottle-feed? Is co-sleeping the way to go for you? Who will assist you in properly wearing your baby? Well, I have an answer for you. You may need a postpartum doula!
So, what is a postpartum doula you ask? Well, first lets provide some insight into who a doula is. A doula is a woman who is a professional childbirth specialist, offering physical and emotional support to a mother during labor, childbirth and beyond, in a calm, gentle, reassuring and non-judgmental way.
There are two types of doulas – labor and postpartum. Labor doulas are present for the labor and birth of your baby. Postpartum doulas provide care in your home after the birth of your baby. Many times, doulas are mothers themselves, however this is not always the case. A postpartum doula offers new mothers ease of transition into their new role. Their role begins with the arrival of your baby at home, and can last for a few months depending upon the family’s needs. However, the typical timeframe is around 4-6 weeks immediately following childbirth.
Postpartum doulas provide a myriad of resources and assistance to the transitioning new mother and family. While assistance with household tasks can be part of the postpartum doulas role, they offer so much more by way of emotional support and years of experience in caring for new families. A postpartum doula is a valuable and neutral resource for new mothers. Your postpartum doula will offer you advice, affirmation and praise as you grow in your role as a new mother.
Some people mistakenly compare postpartum doulas to “baby nurses”, nannies or housekeepers. They are nothing of the sort! A postpartum doula is a respected professional childbirth specialist and will surely be an asset to your family during the days, weeks or months immediately following the birth of your bundle of joy.
Postpartum doulas are not for first time mothers only. You may have other children in the household, but it may have been a while since you’ve cared for a newborn. Maybe you will be the primary caregiver while your spouse works outside of the home. Possibly, you are a single mother or you live in a state or city with no other form of support. There are a number of reasons other than being a new mother that would create the need for a postpartum doula. This list goes on and is purely based upon your needs and unique situation. Don’t count yourself out. There is a postpartum doula just for you!
You may be wondering just how much this professional childbirth specialist is going to cost you. Unfortunately, there is not a one-size-fits-all answer to give. The cost can vary from state to state, city to city and even county to county, on a smaller scale. Training, experience and demographics all play a large role in how a postpartum doula sets her fee schedule. Most provide their services on an hourly basis, although some set minimum hourly packages.
However, if money is tight and you still wish to have a postpartum doula, many times you can find a doula in training or newly certified who will offer her services for free to gain experience. There are also doula co-ops and some non-profits or state funded programs that offer doulas at no or low cost. The Internet is a wonderful way to see what resources are available in your area. You can also speak to your healthcare practitioner and ask for referrals. Some doulas develop working relationships with the OB’s and midwives in their area and work on a referral basis only.
You’ve now determined that you have a need for a postpartum doula and have compiled a list of the doulas in your area. The selection process is fairly simple but somewhat detailed. For a step by step how to guide on selecting the right postpartum doula for your family, click here.
